This invention relates generally to polypeptide analogs of therapeutically active cationic proteins, including but not limited to analogs of the neurotrophic factor known as NT-3. More specifically, the invention relates to positively charged polypeptides in which modifications have been made in the native sequence, such that the analogs possess lower isoelectric points and, concomitantly, longer circulation times and/or improved absorption in vivo following parenteral administration. The invention also relates to materials and methods for the recombinant production of such polypeptide analogs, to antibodies thereof, and to pharmaceutical compositions containing the analogs which can be used for the treatment of various diseases and disorders.
Following the administration of a therapeutic protein by parenteral means, such as by subcutaneous, intravenous or intramuscular injection, the pharmacokinetic properties such as bioavailability, circulation time and clearance rate can vary widely from protein to protein. Even though there are active efforts in many laboratories to develop alternative routes of administration for protein products, little is known about the factors that govern the pharmacokinetic behavior of protein therapeutics following such parenteral administration. It has been shown that an increase in the molecular weight of a protein can result in a preferential uptake by the lymphatic system rather than the blood capillaries; Supersaxo et al., Pharmaceutical Res., Volume 7, page 167 et seq. (1990). The molecular size of the therapeutic protein also plays a key role in insulin uptake, where dissociation of a zinc-induced hexamer to monomeric form has been shown to be the rate-limiting step in insulin absorbance; Kang et al., Diabetes Care, Volume 14, pages 942-948 (1991). The clinical testing in diabetic patients of monomeric insulin analogs, in which the hexamer association site has been eliminated, has demonstrated a more rapid uptake, leading to significant improvements in glucose control in diabetic patients; see Brange et al., Nature, Volume 333, page 679 et seq. (1988).
To assess the impact of the isoelectric point (pI) on the pharmacokinetic behavior of proteins, certain analogs of NT-3, in particular, have been produced which have a relatively lower pI, yet retain the structure and biological activity of the protein in its xe2x80x9cnativexe2x80x9d state (i.e., the protein of naturally occurring amino acid sequence, as well as the metxe2x88x921 version thereof, both of which are referred to herein as xe2x80x9cwild typexe2x80x9d). From these studies, it has now been discovered that protein analogs engineered to possess a lower pI and/or lower charge under physiological conditions than the wild type molecule, can also display longer in vivo circulation times (i.e., xe2x80x9chalf lifexe2x80x9d) and improved absorption following administration by injection. Although the invention is illustrated in this description with particular reference to human NT-3, it has broader applicability to any cationic proteins, and particularly basic proteins which in their native sequence have a pI greater than about 7.0.
It should be noted that the terms xe2x80x9cproteinxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cpolypeptidexe2x80x9d are used interchangeably throughout this description to mean one and the same thing.
Briefly stated, the present invention is concerned with substitution, insertion and deletion analogs of cationic therapeutic proteins, and/or chemically modified versions of such therapeutic proteins, that are characterized by a lower pI while also exhibiting longer circulation times and/or higher absorption relative to the unmodified proteins (i.e., of native sequence). The analog proteins of this invention are typically human therapeutic proteins which are usually, but not necessarily, basic proteins. Preferably, these proteins also have a lower charge under physiological conditions compared to the unmodified basic protein.
The present invention also concerns materials and methods for the recombinant production of such analogs (as a preferred practical method), as well as to antibodies raised against the protein analogs, and to pharmaceutical compositions containing the analogs as biologically active agents for use in the treatment of diseases and physical disorders.